Swarm
by spartanhead
Summary: Fenris hadn't liked Bartrand in the Deep Roads, and he liked him even less now that he'd summoned a horde of demonic shades in his creepy mansion.


**AN: Hey all, and thanks for reading! Constructive criticism/reviews are welcome, and as always BioWare owns everything (which doesn't really seem _fair_, does it?)**

**Enjoy!**

The very air around Fenris seemed to explode with shades and demons; he had never seen so many in one place. _What has that fool dwarf done? _With a battle cry he unleashed his greatsword, slicing through shadow stuff in great arcs. The grating shrieks of the fade creatures both dying and newly made were nearly deafening; he couldn't see through the masses to where his companions were. Inhaling sharply, he brought forth the power from his lyrium markings, sending a brilliant magical burst through the masses. _That got their attention,_ he thought with a feral grin. The fell spirits descended on him in droves, but he preferred it that way; more for him to hack and slash, and more freedom for his friends who were undoubtedly dealing with Bartrand.

The stench of them was unbelievable, like the bowels of hell; corpse-rot and brimstone, spiced with lyrium. Ephemeral hands grasped for him, turning painfully solid as they ran fiery claws down his armor; demonic whispers in his ear, trying to drain him of will and spirit. But still Fenris fought on. He had no fear of shadows.

Unexpectedly he burst through the wall of shades, and time seemed to slow before him. Hawke was on the stair above him, a whirlwind of daggers as she fought off the fade beasts while still trying to hold Bartrand's attention. It wasn't her normal fighting style, and she was straining under the pressure. Bartrand vanished in a plume of thick black smoke; before she could recover, he was behind her. Fenris threw out his hand, a warning on his lips, but too slow, too slow; Bartrand sunk his twin daggers into her back all the way up to the hilt.

He heard Varric's dismayed shout, and was distantly aware of his own mindless screaming. Hawke merely looked surprised, blood pouring from her open mouth as she fell. Bartrand vanished again before Varric's arrow could hit its mark. Fenris plunged into the fray, desperate to get to her. The fade creatures were swarming towards her, sensing easy prey, wanting to taint her, _possess_ her, taste the life as it gushed from her body. Enraged, Fenris hacked at them, carving a path to where her bod- where _she _was. She could not be dead, _she could not be dead_. "I won't allow it!" he bellowed. "I will _not allow it!"_

As though burned, the spirits suddenly fled. Hawke began to rise eerily into the air, her arms flung wide, filled by an otherworldly blue glow. Fenris staggered to a halt, cold dread filling him. Was she possessed? Could someone who was not a mage _be_ possessed? _A corpse can be possessed_, an inner voice said, but he crushed the thought.

He tightened his grip on his sword, and a grieved moan escaped him. If it were true, if she were _really_ gone, he would pack his grief away and mourn her when he was alone and sufficiently drunk, but he would never _ever_ let her body be used as the plaything for a foul demon. He raised his sword. "Hawke?" he called desperately.

The blue glow seemed to pulse, and he caught a matching color out of the corner of his eye. Anders stood at the top of the stair, pouring all his energy into a spell. A _healing_ spell. Fenris sagged with relief. What he had nearly done...

The glow vanished and Hawke fell to her knees, disoriented but healed and very much alive. The chaos and fighting continued around them, but for a moment Fenris grasped her hand and helped her to her feet, and they looked at one another. "You frightened me," he said quietly. She winked at him. "You can't be rid of me that easily."

Back to back, they turned to face their enemy.

**So, you guys, this actually totally happened during one of my playthroughs. I wasn't watching my health bar, then Bartrand popped in outta nowhere and shanked Hawke. She went down, everyone was all "Noooooo" and then she started _creepily rising into the air_ and I was like "What's happening? _What's happening? _Turns out, I had just never seen Anders cast Revival before :B**


End file.
